A sneak peek into the Global Talent Search 2014

It’s that time of  year artists everywhere are putting on their creative hat and enrolling in Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search. I enjoyed every minute of last years competition. It was the final assignment for months spent in Lillas class Make Art that Sells and a perfect way to wrap up all that I had learned during my time with her. Well,  I didn’t win. In fact I didn’t come in the top 50 either. I like to think I was hovering around 51st…

I wasn’t planning on entering this year. I love the process and brief of the competition, but my plate is full of design work and life it is just plain old busy in the summer around here. Yet, here I am!

Call it a severe case of FOMO.

What persuaded me in the end was this little video by Lilla herself and much discussion within my design community. I may have rolled my eyes a few times during the video but, as always, Lilla brings a smile to my face. She is truthful and straightforward. She makes you believe.

Follow the link here to watch on Vimeo

I made a promise to put myself out there in 2014. I am sowing seeds and, as cliche as it sounds, Lilla is on to something with her “inch by inch success is a cinch”

I am also a strong believer that no art is ever wasted. So why not?

I am not sure how I am going to approach this years top secret brief. I spent yesterday on the couch eating cookies and thinking long and hard about it all.I didn’t have an ounce of creativity within me, but my head was swirling with ideas. Unfortunately, the theme is one that has been done before  and I am feeling a little hard pressed to come up with an original idea that is all me and my style. Something fresh..

 

A bit of research and some doodling, trying to put something together in my head and a starting point. I would like this piece to be traditional – very limited digital.

I am pulling all my tricks out of the bag for this one. Sketching, painting, cutting paper…I have to trust that it will all come together, but right now I have a little bit of everything on the go.

 

Some  messy freehand dip pen work. My mind works best this way with no preconceived plan. Things are always pretty darn good at this point…then I add paint and it all goes a little sideways..

I think I will save my dip pen work for illustrator and some digital work. I don’t mind the end result  below – it’s not what I have in mind, but it’s all about the process of discovering what exactly it is that I have going on in my mind.

I hope that makes sense.

From here I usually take elements I like and start to expand on them further.  I know what shapes and textures I like and I do love to cut and collage paper.

 

So the lingering questions remains…

Do you stick with your style in a safe and easy way – a joyful way – do what you do best ..

OR  do you throw it all out to the wind and create way out of your comfort zone with the possibility that it may suck.

Haha..actually, that’s not funny, it’s plain old painful, disheartening and definitely discouraging.

For example..

 

I haven’t a clue where this is going on how it even got there. It was fast and it was furious and honestly, I am a bit stuck. There is something I like about it, unfortunately I haven’t figured out what that something is!

It is this kind of work that takes me out of my comfort zone. I will finish it, but I am just not sure it will be in time to be submitted.

The clock is ticking….

Best of luck to everyone out there! This is my community. I follow and support these people and vice versa. I will be thrilled to see any one of you win!

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Come and meet some inspiring creatives ~ a blog hop

I have been asked to join in on a blog hop by my good friend Deborah Velasquez. I have just spent the past hour drifting backwards through the hop and I still can’t find its origin, but it has been well worth my time as I have stumbled upon some beautiful artists , writers and like minded souls from all over the world. One of which lives just down the mountain from me!

Today I will answer a few questions about my work and then point you in the direction of a few other creative souls who inspire me – Deborah Velasquez, Margot Miller and Laura Wooten

What are you working/writing on?

In typical  fashion, I have many projects on the go right now. I hop about daily from one project to the next, working on what inspires me at the moment.

My main focus this summer  is centered on an illustration project I have for The Whistler Survival Guide, a  directory for newcomers moving to the area. It is my first illustrating gig and while I am finding it challenging, I am in awe of how much I am learning. There will be more here on the blog in the fall when it is released.

 

My summer fun project  involves creating a collection of 8 by 8″ mixed media pieces.  These mini works have become a a part of my daily creative practice.They are my go-to when I feel the need for a little painting, spraying and stamping in my life.

They make me happy.

I have recently written a post about the process here.

Mixed in with all of this is my art licensing work , monthly submissions for A Fresh Bunch and a new collection coming soon to Modern Yardage.

Life is busy, but very enjoyable!

Why do you create?

One of my favourite sayings and one that provides me with daily inspiration and the desire to create.

Never lose your sense of wonder

Six words that allow me to travel through life with eyes wide open

 

I am visually inspired by colour, texture and shape. My heart starts racing, I feel a little tingly all over and I can’t wait to dive into my art journal  when inspiration strikes. I love all the endless possibility that creating art provides. I love immersing myself in a theme and exploring different ways of representation. Simply put ~ I love the way art makes me feel.

When I am not creating I am in search of what to create next. It has become what makes me whole.

How does your creative process work?

I work best in short bursts of creative chaos. My paintings and mix media work are all intuitive. I start with marks and gradually move into texture and colour. I observe my mood and what is happening before me on the paper to dictate the direction the piece will take.

I can often be found lying on the couch, my artwork propped up before me, with eyes squinted as I turn my piece this way and that, hoping that something…anything.. will materialize before me.

 

My surface pattern work is a little more structured and usually focused around a collection of motifs.I love to doodle and my sketchbook and pen are never far from my side. Life here becomes a little more computer oriented as I have to scan my work in and pattern in Illustrator.

I love the combination of both the structured and unstructured. It allows me to play and experiment with new techniques.

Oh how  I look forward to the day when I have mastered all of the Adobe programs so I can express myself in all mediums..

Ahhh… big sigh..that was a lot of writing in one sitting.

Now, onto the women in my life that inspire and motivate me. Some I know well and others I am in the process of getting to know.I chose to reach out to them in hopes that they would share and  learn a little bit more about what makes them tick.

Deborah Velasquez

I first met Deborah through Kelly Rae Roberts Flying Lessons. I believe we  originally connected based on a similar love for seeds and pods . Our friendship grew as we continued on a similar  journey with The Art & Business of Surface Pattern Design and then onto Make Art That Sells. She is my go-to girl in times of  creative need, both good and bad. She brings a smile to my face.

Please pop back to her blogpost here to learn all about her work and creative process.

Her work is modern, sophisticated, graphic and bold with a unique colour sense and reflects her simplicity for the love of line.

Deborah loves the mixture of design, words, art and craft. She has a very unique way of combining them all together. Watch out for this one!

Margot Miller

I joyfully came across Margots work in Make Art that Sells. I now follow her daily on Instagram at  @margot531 (#scenesfrommyscreen)  This woman is  multi-talented and funny too.

Meet Margot  ~ a collage illustrator from N.Y. She is a bit of a tweetaholic and likes her coffee too.. I think we could be friends.

Check out her website! I wish she would give tutorials on how she creates her lovely work…

 

Beautiful colours, shapes and texture! I love this piece she made for Make Art that Sells. Below is a hand lettering piece she  did for a friends book launch blog hop.

Pretty awesome.

 

Laura Wooten

Next up is Laura Wooten. Laura has been on a similar path with continued studies in both the Art & Business of Surface Pattern Design and Make Art that Sells. I was thrilled when I reached out to her to be a part of the bloghop and she said Yes! I love her  52 collage project – creating a collage each week.This has inspired me to no end and makes me want to try.

I admire her beautiful hand drawn sketches and prints. The colours are just beautiful –  I love the vintage feel.

Her website is full of lots of painting and pattern goodness.

Laura also instagrams  daily. I have been enjoying her daily sketch project. You can visit her here on Instagram

These women will be blogging about their creative lives next Saturday and introducing you to other creatives that inspire them. You just never know who you may meet so be sure to drop by!

Top tips from Surface Pattern Designers!

A little shout out goes to Ali Benyon of Ali Benyon Designs for her Top tips and tricks for Surface Pattern Designers!

Recently Ali has created  2 blogposts with tips and tricks from a global bunch of surface pattern designers from all stages of their careers. I was fortunate to be included and shared a few of my own pearls of wisdom.

I found that all of the tips and tricks were applicable to anyone in the creative field from artists to start up entrepeneurs.

There was lots of good advice. I walked away with a sense of comfort knowing that it’s not just me ~ this creative business is hard work! It demands that you show up everyday, you practice, and you believe. March forward, head up!

It…is….a….long…..process… (I am always in need of a reminder about this)

Art by Deborah Velasquez

It was interesting to read everyone’s take on being unique and staying true to yourself and your style. It seems that this is a little something that all of us struggle with. It doesn’t surprise me ~ we are visual artists, we love to look at art and more often than not we are inspired by it. I think it’s normal to want to try different tricks and techniques in a style not your own. It’s a great way to learn BUT realize that you have to make it your own. You have to add your very own signature style to it before you call it your own.

There was lots of advice about practice, patience and perseverance, a  few tips about color AND a great reminder of all the routes you can take in this profession. I often forget all of the endless avenues for your art so thank you for that!

I won’t give anymore away. I could spend hours discussing the ins and outs and how and whys of the creative process, but then that would take away from hours that could be spent just… Making Art!

Make Art – Make more Art – Enjoy the process = your time will come!

Part one is here

Part two is here

A big Thanks to Ali for bringing us all together!

Enjoy!

Indigo,Paris 2014 is live!

Indigo 2014, the creative textile and surface design show, is now live in Paris!

This is what the past 6 weeks of my life have looked like in preparation. Creative chaos at its finest.

Sketching, sketching and more sketching. Reviewing all my old notes for Make Art that Sells. Driving to the store to pick up more Sharpies!

Dozens of  children’s motifs all waiting to be patterned. I am amazed at the amount that just didn’t make the cut. They will all have their time though. No art work is ever wasted, it will always find its place somewhere.

I completed 20 mini collections in total for Believe Creative Studio. It look me quite a few tries to start, but I finally fell into my groove and the style that is mine and a style that worked well with the Believe Creative Studio style.

There were definitely moments. Many moments. Moments of doubt, insecurity, and creative exhaustion. The belief that I didn’t have another creative drop left in me.That frantic moment of “I got nothing!”

Those were the times the music got cranked and  fun times were had playing in the snow. Anything to clear the mind.

I have to admit that despite the highs and lows~ I loved every moment of it. I loved the challenge of following a brief. I loved stretching my imagination and trying to think like a child.

Still waiting for my Sharpie sponsorship….

As this was my first experience designing with a studio, with an end goal in mind, there were many lessons learned. A few of these I thought I would share with you.

1. Work around a theme and stick with it.Explore a subject and immerse yourself in it. I made the mistake of jumping around from brief to brief and had a few moments of confusion.

2. Finish one piece of work before you start another. This is a matter of personal preference of course, but I found I would sometimes get stuck and instead of working through it, I would just start fresh with a new pattern. As a result I have many pieces of unfinished work. I know that I can work through them, but I won’t. I love a big, blank page of possibility. I like starting.

3. Turn off all social media. Learn what distracts you and get rid of it. Many people made comments about my lack of participation in my social media world this past month. (which also included blogging…sorry)  I just found that at the end of the day I was mentally exhausted.  Now, however I feel like I can whip off pattern after pattern. I have upped my pattern making stamina.

4.Explore your favourite kids store and see what they are doing. This definitely helped me with my playfulness and use of colour. It also helped me with the sizing of my motifs. Rosie also made a great suggestion – borrow a  piece of children’s clothing to give you a sense of sizing. Your motif has to read well small.

5. Stop in moments of frustration. Don’t push yourself to create. Walk away. I found that once I cleared my mind and relaxed, inspiration came flowing back.

6. Play happy music. Invite young friends over to draw. I was lucky enough to get to spend an afternoon babysitting Thomas,a young friend of mine. He was very quick to give advice and show me how a dinosaur is really done. He was also a little put out that I didn’t have one light sabre in my collection…or a narwhal (a what?). I would have liked to post his drawings, but the smarty pants took them with him after I threatened to use them (with commission of course:)

One thing is for sure – designing for children makes you happy. I often caught myself with a smile on my face.

Unfortunately, I cannot share any of the  designs until after the show, they are top secret!

A big thank you to Rosie and Vincent of Believe Creative Studio for all of their hard work ~ critiquing, organizing and for being supportive and enthusiastic. I would also like to thank all of the guest designers who were very quick to offer support and answer questions.It is always nice to meet others from all over the globe. I wish everyone of you the best of luck!

Thanks for the fun!

The time is NOW to Make Art that Sells

The time is NOW! (Ok, almost now.Soon. I need a bit of a breather to rest,regroup and reorganize my portfolio!)

My wonderful time with Lilla and Make Art that Sells has come to an end. Wow,it was awesome. A big thank you to Lilla and Beth Kempton of Do What You Love. Well done!

As most here know, I am a fan of the art e-course. I love learning and am happiest trying new things. I would have to say that this course ranks top in my collection of “very worthwhile art courses”

Lilla is a joy. She is enthusiastic, supportive, yet very straightforward. There is no sugar-coating – this art licensing business is competitive. It demands great effort, patience and perseverance – all words that seem to have become my way of life.

Lilla shares with us many of her experiences and her artists too in the art licensing world. She made me laugh the whole way though and I really enjoyed the light-hearted fun in between all of the hard work and reality checks.

Journal page – finding inspiration

So, here I sit pondering all that I have learned during my 10 weeks with Make Art that Sells. I have taken a breather from creating new art for now. It’s difficult, but I believe necessary. I have doodled and sketched,painted and taken many a note during this time but,as of yet, have not a chance to sit down and really review and consider it all.

Scrapbook Market

I thought I would be overwhelmed by it all, but oddly I am feeling very relaxed and confident right now. Lots of good things are happening and the momentum is all there.I am feeling that I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

HOW crazy is that?!

Having a bit of fun…

I have been trying to think of all the goodness that Part B of Make Art that Sells brought into my life.

Part A was all about my art-icons,color,original design in my style,composition,learning my limitations and what I need to improve upon.

Part B was a continuation of working my art, but also thinking more about my brand and what markets I feel I am suitable for.I have a new-found knowledge of the potential of ten different markets all in search of art to display on their products, I have contacts and a wealth of information on what makes your art sell. I have a lot of art!

I am feeling that I have all the necessary ingredients to make it happen. Now it is up to me to stay positive, make a plan and stick with it. Oh, that dreaded F- word…Focus.

(The course is not set out this way, you can take it in any order and not miss out.This just happened to be my approach to it all)

Other great benefits of this class included:

Community– I have met another awesome community of like-minded creatives. We are all at different stages of our developement, but we are still in it together. These people understand my journey. I am always a bit overwhelmed at how others are so willing to take time out of their busy schedules to share information or offer a word of encouragement or piece of advice.It all makes me pretty happy.

Folk art – finding inspiration

Trends– I am still not sure if Lilla is just so bang on her trends or whether she is leading the way and creating them. I do know that it brings me a bit of delight every time I open a magazine and see a theme we have created for during the class. It feels great to have a portfolio piece that is right on trend.

Party paper market

Many people have asked me Part A or Part B? I have to be honest and say both.I feel I received a very well-rounded education by completing both modules.

I was also pleasantly surprised at some of the markets I enjoyed creating for.The one I was least excited about is the one I am most excited about right now…you will see soon!

I believe it is important to explore all possibilities. To my surprise, I learned that all of this motif making is pretty versatile. Many of the markets overlap and all of your motifs can be used accordingly.

If you are interested in Make Art that Sells, but still have questions please feel free to email me at jules@bollah.com

It is a big investment, but I believe very worthwhile. (and no, I am not affiliated:)

If you are interested in reading about Part A have a look here

Onward my friends!

Inspired by 30 days of collage with Stephanie Levy

I am feeling a bit topsy turvy right now. I spent 8 hours up in the air yesterday . I left the rain and sleet and am now surrounded by a warm breeze, lots of birds and a plate full of papaya.Life is feeling a bit surreal.
I know its early morning as life is just starting to unfold here on the Big Island of Hawaii. It feels early, but I know that my real life is in full swing right now! I have an assignment due today for Make Art that Sells,a bit of freelance work due and I have introductions to be made on a new course I am starting tomorrow.

I want to give a quick shout out for this new course because I think it will be of interest to many of my readers, artists and designers alike.

Stephanie Levy’s 30 days of Collage starts tomorrow! Stephanie has put together a month-long course full of tips and inspiration on collage.It will be full of learning tools, lots of visual inspiration, advice for collecting and making your own patterned paper,prompts to create and a great community to share and learn from.

Work by Stephanie Levy

You can find out all about Stephanie on her blog. I have included a small sampling of her work above. It is fun and fresh!

She has also lined up 10 international collage artists for guest interviews.They will be sharing their own personal stories and know how. I have included a few photos below to inspire you, but if you would like to pop over to Stephanie’s blog she will give you the full outline on each one.

Guest interview Jennifer Judd McGee

I am a big fan of Jennifers.I was first introduced to her collage work and then was pleasantly surprised to discover that she is also into papercutting and surface pattern. She is also represented by Lilla Rogers. Jennifer is definitely inspiring me these days. Her blog is here!

Guest interview – Shelley Kommers

I love all of the mixed media in Shelley’s work. The thread, the vintage photo and delicate tissue flower. Beautiful.

Guest interview – Brandi Strickland

Doesn’t this piece by Brandi catch your eye? Lots of depth and darkness combined with big, bright pops of color. Have a visit to Brandi’s blog to see much more.I really like the way she explores themes in her work

Guest Interview by Amanda Hawkins

Amanda describes her work as dirty, grimy minimal and abstract.It’s awesome- lots of smudges and unexpected surprises. She works in many layers and adds burst of bright colors.

Well, hopefully that should inspire you.Lots of look at!
Stephanie will have 20 plus, beautiful, step by step tutorials to share. This is just a small sampling of visual inspiration to help prompt you.Wait till you see Stephanies work!
Pop on over to Stephanies blog for more information on the course and a detailed description of what to expect.

Hopefully I will see you there!

It’s sassy, it’s silly and full of surprises..

I am not sure if it is possible to design baby apparel without a goofy smile on ones face. In fact, I think it is a necessity just to get in the mood of it all. It’s cute (not sappy:), it’s sassy and a whole lot silly and it’s full of unexpected surprises. At least it is suppose to be!

I am not quite there yet, hence the goofy smile on my face helping me to get there.I should have taken a selfie! It would have been good for a laugh.

Week 2 of Lilla Rogers Make Art that Sells had me designing motifs for the baby apparel market. This is a market I have yet to explore, but I have had it in my vision because of my love to doodle and draw big blooms. I think this is a market I could work within.

The theme for this weeks lesson was Camping.It’s a trend I have seen popping up everywhere and now that 500 of us have camping motifs and floating around the world web I am sure it’s going to help it on it’s way. That Lilla sure is smart!

On my screen-playing with color

I had quite a bit of fun with this. My goal for this week was to use my neutrals and to draw a character. Yes, seems simple enough, but oh no, it was challenging to say the least. I should clarify that- the use of neutrals was no problem for my analogous brain, it was the characters. I have yet to draw anything with eyes and a face. I see anything resembling a face in my work and I quickly delete.Not this week though!

The big joke around here all week was my hedgehog. I am mighty proud of that hedgehog. Ridiculous..yes. It’s the little things in life that make me happy. Very happy that I could provide lots of laughs around here as I was trying to get this one out onto paper.Prepare to see all the woodland animals popping out of here soon. Sorry people, no humans …yet! Unless ,of course, Lilla asks because it seems that these days she is the only one I am listening too. I shake my head at the things she has made me to create. I am just a little out of my comfort zone.

I could see myself and family happily travelling along the Pacific Coast Highway in one of these sassy, little camper vans.Oh and check out my flower faces with girls swinging out of them. It took a lot of effort to do that. I am not cute, but I think I could be!

Lessons learned this week – detail, detail topped with more detail, did I mention detail? Create a story. Design your own world. Imagination is key. Get those characters out and make sure they are doing goofy things. Design the unexpected – yes, mushrooms can be umbrellas and sardine cans can be cars! Have fun…and remember, people buy your joy.

Lilla continues to brings a smile to my face.

I already 6 mini chocolate bars into Halloween with, I am sure ,many more to come. I have lots of pressure on me tonight to be the best dressed house. Artist=creative=best dressed house.

It’s going to be a long day.

Happy Halloween!

Inspired by Make Art that Sells – Part B

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas around here (only 71 days to go…)

Last week had me designing Christmas greetings for the paper market for Part B of Lilla Rogers Make Art that Sells. While Christmas is just around the corner, it was no easy task getting in the mood. The sun was shining, my outdoor deck was calling and while the snow is slowly creeping down the mountain, winter feels far, far away!

I did a bit of cruising around on Pinterest, googled vintage christmas images and even pulled out some old Christmas cards and decorations. I heard others had the christmas music blasting ~ I had to draw the line there! No festive FaLaLa’s for me. I just couldn’t face the music.

I am looking at this project as a way to ease into it all. If anything I am hoping it will find me a tad more organized then normal..I  will admit that during my research stage I ended up pinning many a homemade gift.

I have set myself some goals this time around for Make Art that Sells. The amount of info can sometimes be a bit overwhelming especially combined with the amount of creative work involved.

My goals for this time around include  ~ Icons, icons and more icons! I am going to practice my patience and spend more time creating smaller pieces. I am also really hoping to work on my color schemes and my POP value. My goal over the next 5 weeks is to develop 5 more  strong portfolio pieces with some corresponding patterns for each.

Work in progress – light, dark, birds, owls, more snowflakes…help?

Part B covers 5 more markets all in need of art! I am super excited about learning the ways of the paper, party paper and scrapbooking market. I am very interested in the baby apparel market. I am plain old terrified of the editorial market.I am not even sure what the editorial market is all about and have decided to leave it as a surprise instead of stressing over it right now.

In true julie fashion I know I am going to love all of it which is not going to help me in my decision to narrow it all down and specialize, but then why take all the fun out of it?!

My almost finished piece for this weeks market.If I had to do my own critique on it I would say it is definitely going in the right direction, however I still think it needs to be a bit more festive and fun.Maybe some christmas lights strung through the trees and a few more woodland creatures celebrating.The silent night type has to go. Any other suggestions?

What did I learn this week?

I hope all my Canadian friends had a wonderful ThanksGiving weekend. It was a beautiful, crisp and colorful weekend here in Whistler! Lots to be thankful for.

Pop by later this week for another Creative Process piece by Lindsay Buck of SlumberMonkey Designs.

See you then!

Inspired by the mushroom season

The forest is alive with mushrooms. Everywhere you look mushrooms are sprouting up in every different size, shape and color. I keep expecting little gnomes to jump out at me. I have caught myself shoulder checking more than once.

Today I kept hearing voices and my imagination got the best of me. I realized part way through my walk that the woods were alive with pickers. I could hear them, but just couldn’t see them. One day I will learn the difference between edible and not so edible.

For now, I will stick with pictures ~ lots of pictures. My poor Instagram friends are probably starting to think I have become a bit mad, or at least found the magic in it all. Ha!

Today we have mushrooms for you in all shapes and sizes. I put a shout out to my artist friends asking for their mushroom inspiration. I love what I received and am happy to be able to share them with you.We have  mushrooms doodled, sketched, painted, in pattern and even in character!

Here are a few of mine doodled out in black and white. I am not sure what I am going to do with these, but I have a couple of ideas percolating!

Have a  look at these beautiful representations of mushrooms by Cheryl Bakke Martin.So natural in color and line. I love the sketchy feel of them.

Petra is also lucky enough to be surrounded by mushrooms. She has many a blogpost about her mushroom inspiration.She has a czech mother crazy for mushroom picking. Have a visit to her blog for many a good story. I was just recently introduced to her blog and it is fun and fresh. Petra has a very good sense of humour and her posts bring a smile to my face.

How about some mushrooms in pattern? I love Lindsay Bucks use of color,shape and texture in her first piece Fantastic Funghi. There is so much to look at. Lindsay has lots more on her blog– her latest post on conkers still has me trying to guess what a conker is!?

Andrea Rincon also placed hers in pattern.Love the transparency! Andrea has a great blog with a weekly brief to help inspire and get your creative juices flowing~ Brief? Me!. She recently had a creative brief on her blog about funky mushrooms.

If you would like to participate  and get inspired ,have a visit to her blog, Anchobee Designs for more information.

This week finds me back in student mode. Lilla Rogers Make Art that Sells Part B starts today. I am so excited to be learning again. I love creating to a brief, it’s such a challenge and really helps me focus on a topic.

Funny – she had me drawing mushrooms 6 months ago! I have been a bit obsessed ever since.

I will be popping back here weekly with updates on how class is rolling out.

Inspired by the global search for talent-part 2

The Global Talent Search showcase is back due to popular demand!  Today we have Round two of The Global Talent Search hosted by Lilla Rogers studio

If you missed Round 1 here it is here.

These are just a small sampling of the 1500 entries, but all of these  vintage, playground inspired, journal covers inspire me!

They motivate me to try new techniques,play with different mediums and experiment. I think Lilla hit the nail on the head when she suggested this theme . It really gives artists a great way to play and experiment.

I have included the artist name below each piece and a link to their blog post about The Global Talent Search.

Simi Gauba of Simi Designs

Tracy Bixby

Lisa Firke

Laurie Baars

Heather Dutton of Hang Tight studio

Ine Beerten

Catriona Robyn

Julie Ansbro of Acadreamia design

Gabriella Buckingham

Tammie Bennett

Pavinee

Jill Howard

Jennifer Orkin Lewis

May Leong

Pretty impressive isnt it? I have mentioned it many times and here I go again, but I am amazed at the quality and the variety ~ so many different interpretations of one theme!

Tomorrow is the big day!  Lilla Rogers and her team will reveal the top 50 who will move onto the second round. Fingers and toes crossed- I am hoping to know more than a few of those who make it.

Making it into the top 50 is a huge achievement in itself when chosen out of 1500 entrants!

Best of luck to everyone who entered! I will keep you posted on how it all rolls out.